1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing device which can communicate with a distribution device which distributes setting information to plural image processing devices, and a control method for controlling the image processing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, image processing devices, such as a printer, a multifunction device having a scanner function, a facsimile function and a copying function in addition to a printer function, are frequently connected to a network such as an intra-company LAN (local area network) or the like. Under the circumstances, to concentratedly control settings of the numerous devices mutually connected on the intra-company LAN, one personal computer, one printer or one multifunction device may be used as a controller for controlling the settings. In this connection, a function to distribute setting information manually set in the relevant controller to the numerous devices on the network and to execute settings to these devices based on the distributed setting information is conceivable (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-235957). For example, to save papers to be used, a procedure “if two originals each having blank back side are read, these originals are surely copied as a single two-sided copy” is conceivable as a setting for paper discharge in the copying function. In this case, it is troublesome to manually execute this setting to all the multifunction devices located in such a relevant office and each having the copying function. In such a case, a user only has to manually execute the setting only to one multifunction device if he/she utilizes the function described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-235957. Besides, also in a case where accounting to the number of prints is controlled and managed based on department ID's, the user only has to manually set the department ID's to one printer or one multifunction device. This is because, in such cases, it is possible to distribute and register setting information for paper discharge and setting information for the department ID in the copying function.
As described above, a system, which includes a distribution device having a function to distribute setting information set for own device itself to another image processing device and an image processing device on a reception side (hereinafter, called a reception-side image processing device) receiving the distributed setting information and setting it as setting information for own device itself, is conceivable. In this system, in a case where there are hundreds or thousands of reception-side image processing devices, the following problems occur.
For example, it is assumed that it takes five minutes for distribution of the setting information to one image processing device. Here, in a case where there are 1,000 reception-side image processing devices, if the distribution device executes the distribution to the reception-side image processing devices in sequence, it takes 5,000 minutes until the distribution to all the reception-side image processing devices end. Consequently, it is conceivable that the setting information is distributed to all of the 1,000 reception-side image processing devices in parallel. However, in such a case, network traffic increases, and the operations of other devices using the same LAN are interrupted. Further, since a CPU (central processing unit) load and a memory use amount in the distribution device increase, it is necessary in such parallel distribution to limit the number of parallel processes to some extent.
On the other hand, a user, who uses some reception-side image processing device receiving the distributed setting information, uses in fact the relevant device without feeling interest in the fact that there are 1,000 reception-side image processing devices on the LAN. The user only desires the relevant device to always operate for the user in the latest setting. In other words, when the user actually uses a multifunction device, he/she desires that desired setting has been executed to the relevant device irrespective of a problem how long taking time to distribute the setting information. However, in a case where the setting information is sequentially distributed to the plural reception-side image processing devices, there is a possibility that the user uses the image processing device to which the setting information is not yet distributed. In that case, the user cannot know “the setting information is being distributed now, and the setting information is not yet distributed to the image processing device which is intended to be used by the user”. Further, it is difficult for the user to know whether or not the setting information has been distributed to the image processing device which is intended to be used by the user, and whether or not, although the setting information is not yet distributed, the setting will be soon executed to the relevant device. For this reason, there is a problem that, although new setting is not reflected on the image processing device, the user misunderstands that the new setting has been reflected. In that case, there are fears that the user transmits data to an incorrect destination and executes a print process based on incorrect setting.